In China, there is a legend about the greatest beauty named Xi Shi and how she defeated a kingdom alone with her beauty.
Here is her story :
Xi Shi was born in the State of Yue in a poor mountain village. Her father was a firewood peddler and her mother a weaver. Xi Shi was always known for her beauty ever since she was a little girl.
The Yue ruler wanted to bring down the State of Wu. One advisor suggested the king to send an extremely beautiful woman to the Wu king as a tribute to allure him away from his state affairs. Hence, Xi Shi was brought to the Yue ruler. The Yue ruler was shocked by her beauty and wanted to make her his concubine. But for the kingdom he sent her to the State of Wu.
After 3 years of training Xi Shi, a village girl, turned into a fair lady. As soon as the king of Wu set eyes on Xi Shi, he was immediately captivated by the ethereal beauty and elegance. Gradually, the Wu king began to neglect his duties and spent most of his time with Xi Shi. Xi Shi tried her best to keep the Wu king away from his court duties and frequently sent intelligence to her home state. A few years later, an opportunity came and the Yue army launched an all-out war against the State of Wu. The once powerful Wu collapsed and its king killed himself.
But there is a tragic end to this beauty. According to folk stories, Xi Shi was secretly thrown into a river one night by the order of the Yue king and drowned. It was said that the purpose was to prevent Xi Shi from bewitching other men in the world, including the Yue king himself.
The first time I heard this story, I wondered what she looked like in order to destroy a whole kingdom only by her beauty. This is one of the story that fascinated me the most. To this day, people in China are retelling the legends of the greatest beauty.
